"Climate change has significantly contributed to our household struggle and misery. We have been fighting perennial food shortage and water for the last five years. Our area is gradually changing to be arid land making it difficult for us to cultivate and access water for domestic use. It is sad that we walk for about four kilometers to fetch water. This is worsening our stay here. Skipping meals is not new to us, it is part of our survival strategy. I am lactating and this makes my life extremely difficult. I have to eat well to make my little daughter grow fast and healthy. The irony is that I am struggling to put food on the table for my family of four."

"Food inavailability is our biggest challenge. We mainly depend on livestock farming, more specifically goats. They breed well but cannot sustain our family continuously for long. Hence we may sometimes lack food due to inadequate funds to purchase. Farming is a no go zone here due to the long droughts and rocky landscape. My husband does a motorcycle taxi business, sometimes he may not get enough money for food. It leads to food shortage or us skipping means. It has made our lives difficult as a family."

"For a long time, my household struggled with constant water shortages. I had to buy water daily for domestic use, which was not only expensive but also unsustainable. To make matters worse, the nearest water source was quite far from my home, forcing me to trek long distances to fetch water and carry it back. This routine was exhausting and took up a lot of time that I could have used for other productive activities. When I received the transfer, I knew exactly what my priority would be—ending the water crisis in my household once and for all. I thus spent $430 of the funds to purchase the necessary materials, including water pipes, a meter, and other fittings, and hired labourers to lay the pipes from the water point to my compound and installed a water tap. This has been my long time goal and I am glad to have water easily accessible from my compound. I saved the remaining portion of the transfer with the plan to invest in livestock, particularly goats. I consider goats valuable assets that can provide financial security in times of need. My goal is to purchase a few, care for them, and allow them to multiply and grow into a thriving herd over time."

"My primary goal for the coming year and beyond is to significantly improve my health. To achieve this, I plan to use a portion of my transfers to seek better medical care from qualified health practitioners. Accessing quality healthcare will ensure that my health continues to improve and I can recover fully. In addition, I intend to use my transfers to maintain a steady supply of food. Consistent and nutritious meals are essential for my recovery, as they will help me maintain my strength and overall wellbeing. I am deeply appreciative of the financial support, which is enabling me to prioritize my health and access the resources I need for a better recovery. This support has given me hope and the means to work towards a healthier and more stable future."

"The main challenge I face is the lack of a stable source of income, as I rely solely on groundnut sales to support my family. Unfortunately, the earnings generated from these sales are insufficient to meet my basic needs, particularly given the escalating cost of living."

"Job security is the main challenge I am currently facing.I completed my form four level in the year 2016 ,being the firstborn male child in the family of 8 I have had to take over the responsibility of my late father because my mother is unwell.I started job searching in the year 2017 where I was lucky enough to work as a casual worker in a construction site.This job was not favourable enough in terms of work conditions,working hours and the amount of pay I received daily.The construction site was 20 kilometres from my home hence I had to incur a cost of KES 250 per day from the KES 500 I earned.Taking lunch became a forgotten story to me,the harsh conditions and delayed payment made me to leave that job to join the bodaboda industry.I thought the grass were greener here only for me to suffer shock in the last 2 years because I could only get at most KES 500 a day.The motorbike owner takes KES 350 leaving me with KES 150.This amount is insufficient to support my family of 8 in matters food and household utilities.I have tried to look for other job opportunities but have failed ,I am currently afraid of starting up my own family because the burden of responsibility will increase yet I have no stable source of income."

"The challenge I'm currently facing that's making my life difficult is the lack of money. Since I depend on casual work it has been difficult to get work in our village and sometimes I'm forced to stay two to three days a week without work. This has led to a lack of money and also the ability to purchase basic needs for my household. This has made life difficult for me."

"I mainly depend on casual jobs in the construction industry. Recently, getting these jobs has become very hectic. In the past I could get jobs, about two years ago there were plenty. I could easily get casual jobs throughout the week. Nowadays, if I'm lucky, getting one day of work is just great. This means I cannot do my development activities or even avoid decent meals. It has made my life difficult. The cost of food has also gone higher than previously."

"In the coming year, I plan to start a video business where people can gather to watch football. I learned the necessary skills from a friend and now have experience. I’ve already secured a business premise for this venture, but I still need to buy the equipment, finish some renovations, and add benches for seating. I’ve been doing casual jobs, which are ending soon, and I was able to use part of that income to renovate some areas, though some work remains to be completed over the next two months. I haven’t yet done a full cost estimate for the project setup though I am planning to do so very soon. Additionally, I’d like to expand goats rearing project as I already have some through the transfers, and to start purchasing chickens as part of my second business plan. I currently have 19 goats but haven’t yet started buying chickens. Once I successfully implement these two ideas, I’m confident that I’ll achieve financial stability to support my family even after the transfers end."

"I moved to the city in search of better opportunities. After gaining experience working as a cook and attendant at a local food kiosk, I decided to leave and open my own small restaurant. I hired a woman to assist me, and through this work, I've discovered my passion for the food business, encouraged by how much customers enjoy the food and urge me to keep going. This decision has allowed me to earn more compared to my previous job. I have two children whom I left in my mother’s care, and now I can provide for their basic needs with much more ease than before. I no longer struggle as I used to in raising money to support them. In the coming year and beyond, I plan to use my transfers to boost my business by adding more menu items and resources like utensils and seating to comfortably accommodate my customers. This will help me increase my income, save, and invest in other projects, like eventually buying a house, as I currently don’t own one."